Bailey's Fine Jewelry — Local services in Raleigh

This is my truthful and fair review of my experience bringing in an expensive antique piece of jewelry to Bailey's of Cameron Village for repair: I am a private jeweler who works exclusively in higher carat gold. I am also a highly knowledgeable collector of antique jewelry. I have an antique Edwardian platinum and diamond solitaire ring that I brought into Bailey's Jewelry for repair since a prong broke off. When I returned 2 weeks later to pick up my ring from the repair shop, I was utterly dismayed and extremely upset at the handling of my antique ring. Was the repair made? Yes, but it was repaired in an entirely inappropriate manner for an antique piece of jewelry. Two things occurred in the mishandling and disrepair of my ring: 1) when the jeweler replaced the prong, he/she also re-tipped the other prongs; instead of replicating the existing prong style, they used an entirely different style of prong head; this completely changed the look of the ring and they did this without my authorization (to change the style); I had expected to receive exactly the same ring as when I brought it in for repair; and 2) anyone who handles/repairs antique jewelry should know as basic standard knowledge that you do not EVER polish away the patina off a piece as this reduces the overall value of the antique piece; this jeweler completely polished away the patina off of my antique ring, reducing the value of the piece; now I will have to take the ring to an antique jewelry specialist for a new valuation that will surely be less then what it was originally valued at; I did not expressly ask for my ring to be polished and was completely surprised that a supposed experienced jeweler would take it upon themselves to take that action without my approval. When I pointed out the glaring change to my ring, the sales person tried to make excuses for the jeweler. To be fair, this person was unaware that I myself am a jeweler. However, making excuses for a botched repair is an entirely inappropriate response. I became so furious at this response that rather than argue with an unknowledgeable person, and possibly yell or say something that is not in line with my character, I paid and left in anger. I received a voicemail from a customer service representative who I have yet to respond to. I do not see how Bailey's could possibly correct these egregious mistakes now that the original prong heads no longer exist (they cannot be faithfully replicated now) and there is no way return time worn patina to an antique piece. To say that I am deeply disappointed in Bailey's handling of my expensive piece of antique jewelry is an extreme understatement. To additionally make excuses for that mishandling is not only very insulting, but also makes Bailey's Jewelry completely untrustworthy of appropriately repairing antique jewelry. If you are an antique jewelry collector, I recommend finding a specialist to repair your piece and not use Bailey's Jewelry...

I recently found an old Swiss Army watch in my jewelry box, a gift from my father that was very sentimental. However, the stainless steel link band was broken and it needed a new battery. I haven’t worn it in almost 30 years, but I just couldn’t bring myself to get rid of it, so I brought it in to Bailey’s to see about having it repaired.

My watch was in the incredibly capable and caring hands of a gentleman named Hayes at The Village Location in Raleigh.

Not only did he repair the metal band on my watch right then in there by removing the broken link and reattaching, but he also adjusted it (several times) so that it fit my wrist perfectly, and he replaced the battery for me.

When I asked what the bill was, he told me that they offer this service for FREE.

But here’s the really special part of this… each month Bailey’s donates to a different charitable organization, and if you are so inclined, they will accept donations for their battery replacement for the charity that is featured that month.

What an incredible service and way to give back to the community!

Not only was Hayes gracious, kind and professional, but he took the time to answer several random questions I had about watches, and gave me a little bit of a mini Masterclass on the incredible skill and knowledge required to properly repair a watch, including the fact that they need to use different oils inside of your watch mechanisms, depending on where you reside in the world! It was fascinating!

We just had the most wonderful conversation and now my watch is in perfect working order and I I’m able to wear it every single day again. It doesn’t have significant monetary value, but my father gave it to me, and it reminds me of all of those years in my 20s when I first started my career and that watch rarely left my wrist.

Thank you, Hayes! Thank you, Bailey’s for your always exceptional service. I have had Bailey’s restring pearls and work on several special heirloom pieces for me. I trust...

DON’T NOT COME HERE…. I feel compelled to share my recent experience with a jewelry store that I believe is ripping people off with their unscrupulous practices and price gouging. I had heard mixed reviews about this establishment, but I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt and see for myself. Unfortunately, my visit only confirmed the negative rumors.

First and foremost, the prices at this store were exorbitant compared to similar jewelry pieces I had seen at other reputable retailers. I felt like I was being taken advantage of, and it was disheartening to realize that they were capitalizing on unsuspecting customers who might not be aware of fair market prices.

Additionally, the customer service was abysmal. The staff seemed disinterested in assisting me and lacked any genuine knowledge about the products they were selling. When I asked questions about the quality of the gemstones and materials used, I was met with vague and dismissive answers, leaving me feeling even more uncertain about my potential purchase.

Worse still, upon further investigation after my visit, I discovered that some of the jewelry they claimed to be "exclusive" and "one-of-a-kind" were, in fact, mass-produced pieces available elsewhere at significantly lower prices.

To add insult to injury, the return and refund policy was virtually non-existent. When I tried to return an item I had purchased, they were uncooperative and unwilling to provide a full refund, even though it was within the designated return period.

In summary, I strongly advise potential customers to exercise extreme caution when dealing with this jewelry store. Their prices are unjustifiably high, the customer service is lacking, and their products may not be as unique as they claim. I urge everyone to do their research and shop with reputable establishments that prioritize integrity, transparency, and fair pricing. This jewelry store is certainly not...